Return of Life
by charlotteprentiss
Summary: AU - set at the beginning of season 7. A very pregnant Emily Prentiss returns to help track down Doyle and is reunited with her beloved BAU. As the team comes to terms with her presence and pregnancy, she finds herself having to adjust to life at the Bureau. Life goes on and babies are born but will the team ever be the same? MULTI-CHAPTER FIC. HOTLY. WILLIFER.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys. Thank you in advance for reading. I just wanted to do a little explanation to this fic... About 2 years ago when it was confirmed that Agent Prentiss would be returning to the BAU there was little jokes about her returning pregnant/with a child. Of course, that never happened but I thought I might as well write a 'what if' fic. **

**Complete AU set at the beginning of Season 7.**

'Seven months ago...' Emily heard Aaron's voice draw out from down the corridor. She tried to step as lightly as possible to avoid a commotion but with each step the pounding of her shoes got heavier in her head. She reached the doorway and their voices echoed around her.

'But we buried her...'

'Yeah, I got a problem!' Morgan's voice hurt the most. The last time she saw him she was bleeding in his arms, he was pleading with her but she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. As the medics arrived and carried her away, she felt him let go of her hand which she was now nervously fiddling with.

Slowly the team turned around. Emily pulled her black top down and her cape over her torso.

Garcia's jaw was ajar and Morgan's eyes were glazed over. 'I'm so sorry, really...' She spurted out. 'Please forgive me...'

'Uh...' Morgan stepped back in shock and Emily reached out her arm to touch him.

'It's ok, I'm here...' She felt her top rid up against the cape which covered her swollen stomach. 'I'm so sorry...' She spoke softly as she tugged at her top. 'I didn't want any of this.'

'Emily?' Derek reached out to touch her hand that was extended towards him. Again her top rode up.

'What? Emi-' Spencer's voice was high pitched and almost a whisper as he glared at her stomach but she still heard him.

Her face suddenly displayed horror and she spun around to face the rest of the team front on. 'I...'

'Are you-' Penelope was breathing heavily and her voice cracked as she tried to get her words out. '-pregnant?'

Emily looked down, almost in shame and removed the cape she wore over the top that clung to her skin. The black fabric was folded over which only highlighted her protruding stomach more so.

'Sit down, sit down...' Rossi urged, pushing the chair out from besides him.

'What?' Derek's voice was finally clear as he stared at her stomach.

She inhaled deeply and stared at the table. The last time she had been in that room the team were uncovering Lauren Reynold's identity. She exhaled and looked at JJ and Hotch; they had been whispering between themselves. Both knew she was pregnant but neither one had seen her in seven months or had even spoken to her about it, about the baby. Aaron's brow furrowed as she began to speak.

'Don't blame Aaron or JJ, they didn't know.'

'Oh baby...' Garcia sighed sympathetically.

'I barely knew, I was kidding myself. I shouldn't have been in the field and I most certainly shouldn't have been pursuing Doyle. I had been sick - Derek, you remember.' She looked at him but he turned away. 'I never had time to take a test, I only found out after the surgery when I came round. They did blood tests, you see... I'm so lucky, so thankful.' She rubbed her hand over her stomach protectively and took Rossi's hand to feel the movements from within.

'Wow.' Spencer spluttered. 'Medically... Statistically... You know, never mind. Congratulations Emily.' He abruptly stood up and hesitated to walk over.

'It's ok.' She reached out to him and drew his hand onto her stomach where Rossi's hand had been seconds earlier.

'Wow.' He repeated.

Derek Morgan was still the only team member standing. He sighed heavily, his eyes still glazed with tears. He began to crack a smile but suddenly it disappeared. 'I'm sorry...' He paced out the room, hesitating behind Emily's chair and then carrying on out to the bullpen.

'Derek, wait!' Emily shot up.

'Emily, don't!' Dave said in a raised voice as he, Garcia and Hotch quickly reached out to her as she tried to steady her balance. She slumped back in her chair and watched as Aaron ran after him. From the corridor she could hear their muttering.

'Hotch, it hurts- so much'

'She needs you, you know she wants to talk to you.'

'I can't...'

'You can.' Aaron's voice was stern and he quickly paced back into the room, leaving Morgan standing awkwardly in the door frame.

'We all have a lot of catching up to do but right now we need to make sure a young boy is safe. Emily, can you work with JJ and Garcia to help track down Declan's mother?'

'I can try.' She got up and began to waddle to Garcia's lair, avoiding the door where Derek lingered.

As she stepped into the hallway Garcia observed her. 'Look at you Miss Prentiss; glowing!'

Emily protectively grasped her stomach: 'isn't it amazing?'

'When are you due?' JJ asked.

'6 weeks...'

She shook her head in awe. 'Just don't stress yourself out, ok?'

Emily, laughed. 'Easier said than done.'

JJ and Emily watched as Garcia scurried into her technological kingdom to set everything up.

'You gave us quite a scare…' JJ said shaking her head in bewilderment.

'Quite?'

'You had a table leg sticking out of your torso… And now, look!' Emily hummed as JJ carried on. 'I'm so glad you're back.'

'We never got to speak in Paris.'

'Can we keep it that no one knows?' JJ looked concerned as she heard footsteps behind her but it was only Anderson.

'Of course' Emily nodded.

They turned to see if Garcia was ready with the slides of Doyle's past romantic partners. 'You had already gone when they told us.' Emily listened attentively and pulled JJ to the side of the hall so that it was a more private conversation.

'To Bethesda?'

'Yeah… It was arranged for me to tell the team that you had-'

'Guys, I'm ready!' Garcia interrupted. 'Come on, we need to kick some Irish ass!'

'Tell me later' Emily said softly so that only JJ heard.

The team found it surprisingly easy to track down Doyle once Emily had identified the woman she thought was his ex-partner. She recognised a picture of the woman, the photograph she had seen was folded and kept in the corner of his gun cabinet but the resemblance was uncanny and most certainly her.

The team set out to stop the exchange and Emily remained at Quantico. She was no longer a member of the BAU, even if she was, in her current condition she would never be allowed out in the field.

'Can I help you?' Emily heard the voice and recognised it immediately. She had hid away in the round table room, in almost darkness but the light from the bullpen illuminated the room and her silhouette was obvious to anyone who passed. 'Excuse me…'

Emily spun around on one of the chairs. 'Strauss' She addressed the chief.

'Emily' Erin walked in to the room and flicked all the lights on. 'It's good to see you…' She walked around the table and pulled out a chair on the far side, directly opposite her. As she sat down she saw Emily's pregnant stomach. They both took heavy breaths but no one spoke.

'Strauss, I…'

'You will need to go before a committee and explain why this team is not a rogue one. Your friend's jobs depend upon it.'

Emily hadn't been able to keep eye contact but finally looked up. 'I didn't mean for anything to happen, any of this.'

'Interpol are known for being unable to contain their mess' she said half-jokingly in despair for they were both avoiding the obvious. 'You were a brilliant agent.'

'Were' Emily smiled reminiscently.

'Unless a committee decides against it, there is no reason why you cannot return. This team is not rogue; they just look out for each other.'

'Erin, I don't think that I'm exactly in the position-'

'Regardless of how unconventionally this team operates, and despite the fact that an agent under covert exfiltration turns up to assist on an unauthorised case – pregnant, I might add – I must speak in your team's favour at this hearing.'

Having finally acknowledged her pregnancy, Emily felt it ok to finally rub her stomach from which her baby had been ferociously moving in the past few minutes. 'They will appreciate it… And of course, I will too.'

Strauss stood up and made her way to the door, checking her phone on the way. 'I think you'll want to know; Doyle is dead and the boy is in protective care.' She walked out and into the bullpen before returning: 'Prentiss, who is the father?'

**Reviews and Subscriptions always returned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for your comments and support so far. I realise that being pregnant after having a table leg impaled into your torso is pretty insane but hopefully I will be able explain how it's possible via the medium of Dr Spencer Reid... (next chapter)**

Strauss didn't hang around to receive an answer and left Emily alone in the round table room. Two hours passed and the team made their way back up to the sixth floor. They were groggy when the elevator doors opened and slowly poured out onto the BAU floor. Reid and Rossi hugged her as they made their way to the latter's office, each embrace seemed to last an eternity as they made sure she was really there. By the time they were done, Aaron had already made his way to his office and was sitting at his desk, head in hands listening to the Section Chief who stood before him.

'Declan is well' JJ said as she leant up against the wall.

'Really? '

'Yeah. How about we have that talk?' JJ led Emily to her old office which Morgan had been using as a base for his Doyle project. As they entered JJ pulled down the majority of the pinned up files and shoved them in a box in the corner before Emily could catch a glimpse.

'Thank you, Jay, for making sure he is safe. For everything.' Emily leant against the desk but JJ pointed for her to sit down in the big office chair and then sat on the table. For a moment JJ stared at her dangling legs but then glared at Emily's baby bump. 'I guess I have some explaining to do…'

'Do you want me to tell you what happened on that night?'

Emily licked her lower lip and bit it. 'Yeah.'

'You were in surgery and they ran your blood. The entire time Strauss and her supervisors were discussing what to do, exfiltration was decided but it came down to me to tell the team that-' JJ still found it hard to talk about. '- that you had 'passed'. By the time your blood work had come back they didn't need a transfusion anyway and Strauss had gone back to Quantico. The doctors passed on the details. You should have seen Hotch's face when the doctor read out the sheet: blood group A positive, hCG found.'

Emily swallowed hard. 'I didn't know I was pregnant. I thought I was just stressed… I really should have put it all together.'

'Don't worry about it. You're in good health now!'

'I can't help but feel guilty for being a shit parent before she's even born.'

'She?'

'I don't know. I alternate between she and he, it feels more personal and real than "it".'

'I remember the feeling.' JJ smiled and carried on. 'We ushered everyone out of the waiting room. The longer they were there; there was a bigger chance of being compromised… They never really told us anymore.' A tear formed in her eye.

'Oh Jay, I'm so sorry.' Emily got up and hugged her friend. As she held her, Morgan walked past and glared through the window.

'How about we stop ignoring the big elephant in the room…' JJ suggested.

'I'm pregnant, not an elephant' Emily laughed nervously. JJ frowned. 'Stop profiling me.'

'Em…'

'You mean the baby's father.'

'I barely saw you back then, I'd just changed work- remember? I wouldn't know if you had a boyfriend or not…'

'Uh…'

JJ carried on. 'On the flight back here the guys were spit balling who they thought it was.'

'Oh god, who?' Emily laughed. She tried to get JJ to carry on with the story despite the fact that it was leading to Emily having to tell the truth.

'Well Morgan seems to think donor. But then I said that you didn't know you were pregnant. And surely if you were trying to get pregnant you'd have taken a test – right?'

'Right…' Emily nodded. 'Logical thinking. Who else?'

'Spence thought Dave.'

'Rossi?'

'Yeah. Apparently you have "daddy issues" and with our Italian stallion being a "serial womaniser" he put two and two together and got…'

'Me pregnant- apparently. Everyone knows I have issues with my parents but Rossi is only like… What? 15 years older than me? I don't think that counts. If he was 20 years older… Maybe.' She laughed and dragged it out for as long as possible. 'And Rossi thought?'

'Clyde Easter.'

'Clyde? You're kidding- right?'

'Well he said "that British guy who is an absolute moron" so…'

Emily laughed nervously again. 'And you thought?'

'Mick Rawson?' Her voice became high pitched.

'Sorry, Jay- you're wrong… Well that's everyone. And you're all wrong.'

'You're forgetting Hotch.' JJ pointed out.

'What did Aaron say?' she genuinely seemed intrigued.

'He didn't. He kept out of the conversation.'

'Oh he didn't say anything- at all?'

'Nothing.'

'Oh…' Emily seemed disappointed.

'Why? What did you want him to say? Would he know who the father is?'

'No.' Emily said defensively. 'I just wanted to know who he thought fathered my child…'

JJ raised an eyebrow. 'Emily…'

Aaron knocked on the door and walked in. 'Can I have a word with you?'

'Yeah sure.' JJ grabbed her laptop case and followed him out of the room.

'Emily, you might as well come too.'

They walked to his office and Emily lingered by a bookshelf while Hotch gave JJ a small pile of paperwork to complete. 'By next Friday, ok?'

'No problem. I'll see you tomorrow.'

'Have the morning off, tell everyone to come in for 1pm.'

'Let's go, Em.'

'Actually, Jayje I need to talk to Hotch for a minute.'

'Ok…' JJ left and Emily closed the door behind her. The other profilers were already gathering in the bullpen to go down to the garage together.

'Welcome back.' Aaron chuckled. 'Sit down, sit down…'

She took the seat opposite his desk and he leant against it. 'Aaron…'

'Don't.' He smiled and couldn't stop staring at her stomach.

'Pretty amazing, huh?'

'I'd say so.'

'I honestly didn't know.'

'You don't have to explain it to me. I do have to ask one thing though…'

'Ok.'

'Is it-?

'Is it yours? Of course it is! Who else's is it going to be!?'

'I was kidding.'

Emily laughed. 'Feel…' She took his hands and put them either side of her stomach. 'It's kicking!'

Aaron's eyes watered as he got down on his knees to be facing the bump. 'You do realise the rest of the team are watching?'

'Yeah.' Emily hadn't noticed but looked out onto the bullpen and rubbed her stomach. They all gawped as the watched their unit chief reduced to tears as he kneeled in front of their co-worker who had only hours earlier "risen from the dead".

'I wanted to come and find you.' Aaron said as he dropped his head and rested it against her stomach.

'I know. You don't have to explain yourself to me.'

'I was going to quit.'

'You wouldn't have.'

'Emily, knowing you were in intensive care and carrying my baby, I wanted to find you.'

'And you know why didn't.'

'Because I am a coward.' He said regretfully.

Emily put her fingers under his chin and raised his head. 'You didn't because it would have put me and our baby in danger.'

He sighed heavily. 'I'm sorry.'

She tugged on his arm so that he stood up and took one final look at the rest of the team. They had stepped back a foot or so to get a better view of the unfolding drama before them. 'Look at me'. She stepped closer to him and placed one of his hands on her stomach. 'I don't care who knows.'

He looked out into the bullpen and then moved his hands to clasp the back of her head. He kissed her passionately and whispered in her ear. 'I love you, Emily Prentiss.'

**Thank you for all your reviews so far!**  
**~CP**


	3. Chapter 3

'Emily and Hotch…' Spencer Reid hummed. 'You know statistically it isn't that improbable for a subordinate to be seduced by their boss.'

'What makes you think Hotch seduced Emily?' Derek asked. 'Sin to win and all that, I think Emily is a little crazy.'

'"A little crazy"?'

'You know, in the bedroom and stuff.'

'I knew what you meant Morgan, I'm not a child. I'm just not that surprised.'

'Didn't you think Rossi was the father yesterday?'

'Hotch would be second on my list.' Spencer paused for a moment. 'You seem… Happier today.'

Morgan cut his eyes at the youngest profiler. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm still angry. Not at Emily, or Hotch – after seeing them together yesterday I can't be angry. She's happy and he makes her happy so...'

'Then why are you angry?'

'I used to be angry at myself for not saving her but I see that she is alive and now that negative energy has just accumulated itself. I think I'm still angry at myself, but angry for not figuring out she was alive, or finding Doyle earlier...'

'I'm angry that JJ didn't tell me.'

'She couldn't.'

'Couldn't or wouldn't?'

'Well I could say the same.'

'You weren't crying at her house every week.' For once Reid exposed himself emotionally to Morgan. 'It's not like I would have done anything to endanger Emily.'

Derek sighed and put his hand on Reid's shoulder. 'It will get better with time.'

'Will it?'

The two profilers had walked up to the BAU's offices and entered the bullpen. From the glass doors they could see Emily leaning against Hotch's desk right where they were the night before and he leaning over her. 'You know what kid, it might just take a while.' Morgan sighed. He had spent the night before thinking about how thankful he was for Emily to be alive and how idiotic he had been being angry. But as soon as he saw her the heart-ache came rushing back. In his arms he could still feel the pressure of her lifeless body and looking down to see his blood-stained hands as the medics carried her away. It was a common nightmare for him and yet seeing her alive did not help matters. His daydream was broken when Emily caught his gaze and walked fast paced onto the walkway.

'Morgan, don't go.' She called out.

He hadn't thought about moving but when she approached him, he fell back a step. He stared at her. 'Emily.'

She reached out for him like she had done yesterday and managed to catch his hand as he flinched. 'Without you I wouldn't be here.'

He looked down at his hand which was held by hers. All he could see was blood. 'I, uh-'

'Derek, I am so sorry.' He clenched his jaw. He didn't know what to say but could feel tears coming. It was obvious he couldn't move so she held him as tightly as she could, her stomach pressed into his torso. Finally he moved, adjusting his arms so that he held her back.

'It's good to have you back.' A tear rolled down his cheek. With that tear he felt some of his anger diminished.

'I'm never letting you go.'

'Prentiss, I gotta work.'

'You know what I mean.' She pulled from his embrace. 'Everyone is on suspended duty anyway, I really shouldn't be here.' She laughed quietly and let go, returning back to Hotch's office where he had been watching.

Derek was engrossed with staring at Emily when Rossi patted him on the back. He flinched. 'C'mon, let's get some work done.' He followed him to the round table room where JJ and Reid were sitting at opposite sides of the table making their way through paper work.

They worked in a painful silence before Rossi spoke up. 'I guess we were wrong guys… Aaron seems to be the baby's father.'

'Either that or she has some explaining to do…' JJ laughed, trying to break the tension.

'She's not the only one.' Reid glared at JJ and his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and returned to his work.

The sudden animosity caused Derek to raise his head. 'You know what I don't get… How Emily is still pregnant having being staked in the stomach. I don't want to cause problems, but you know, that's a miracle –right? How do we know that she didn't get pregnant after…?'

Emily had told everyone that JJ and Aaron didn't know she was pregnant. But of course, they did. JJ kept her mouth shut to avoid further tension.

'Oh that's easy…' Reid stood up and walked over to the board and drew a rough outline of the female anatomy. 'You see, when I last saw Emily when she was dying-' He shot a quick glance to JJ. '- The table leg was sticking out of her here.' He circled just below her ribs. 'It was sticking out at roughly an 80 degree angle which meant it was hitting her organs here.' He circled again. 'Which is her stomach and upper intestine. Given that she wouldn't have been that far along in her pregnancy and the location of the uterus, the "stake" would have been approximately 8 to 10 centimetres from the foetus which is almost-entirely protected anyway.'

'So what you're saying is that the baby would have been fine?' Derek asked.

'Essentially yes, unless there were further complications…'

'Ever thought of becoming a doctor of medicine?' Rossi chuckled

'Pretty pointless as people can rise from the dead.'

JJ kept her head down through Reid's verbal attack. The wise mediator, Rossi, was for once forced to keep his mouth closed. Any other problem and he would have assisted in sorting it out but given the sensitive topic he let Reid be. After all, young Spencer was the only member of the team who still harboured sour feelings. It was obvious that seeing Emily had reignited Morgan's grief but her presence and having his question answered calmed him.

Hotch appeared in the doorway and sat down at the table. Emily shadowed him and sat between Morgan and JJ. 'The hearing will be on Monday.' He said shuffling papers.

'Rather sooner than later…' Rossi commented.

'Strauss supports the team, so I think we will be alright.' Emily said as she made notes on what she might have to say.

'Are you coming back?' Reid asked raising an eyebrow at her stomach.

'I'd like to… But not for a while.' Morgan took a sharp breath in and tightened his lip at the prospect of not seeing her often. Feeling his discomfort, Emily took his hand and placed it on her stomach. 'Uncle Derek can visit though.'

Aaron looked up and smiled.

'You know what, I think we're missing something here…' Rossi pointed between Emily and Aaron. 'Playing happy family are we?'

'And there I was thinking you hadn't noticed…' Emily laughed as Aaron got up and shut the door. She stopped laughing and put her pen down.

'Emily and I started seeing each other about five months before the incident in Boston.' He started. 'We were going to tell you all the week-'

'-the week that I…' Emily stuttered.

'We get it.' Morgan commented casually.

'Sorry.' She fiddled with her pen.

'Seeing Emily after so long was painful. I have told her that not a day went by that I didn't want to find her.'

'I know the feeling.' Derek said.

'We want to start again where we left off…' Aaron smiled at Emily. 'I hope we have your support.'

'Of course.' Rossi said turning to him and patting him on the arm. 'Keep her safe.'

'Yeah, or else…' Reid commented cracking a smile, it was unusual for him to make such comments.

'Thank you.' Emily held the hands of the profilers closest to her and grasped them tight. 'It's just Erin that we have to deal with now.'

JJ, Morgan and Rossi laughed. 'I don't think she's going to be a problem' Morgan said shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling.

'Why?' Aaron asked.

'Well…' Even though everyone knew it and all the profilers had seen it, no one –especially Derek Morgan- wanted to bring up the fact that he had seen his senior agent reduced to tears then kiss his friend. 'When Emily was in your office yesterday and we were going home-'

'-Spying.' Emily quickly added.

'Going home.' He confirmed. 'Strauss may have seen a little more than she wanted to.'

'You can say that again.' Rossi added, hinting that he agreed with Erin.

'What was it that she said again?' Derek said, almost reduced to tears,

'"What is this? A peep show?"' JJ mocked. 'I don't think I have ever heard anything funny come from her mouth…'

**A/N: Haven't got another chapter already written so I may be a little slow to update, but never fear - I will get around to doing it. I'm working on my old fic London Calling which I haven't updated in almost a year so please check it out. **

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

**CharlotteP**


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